De eerste officiële kennismaking met de gedelegeerden van de R.T.C. vond plaats op 19 Augustus, tijdens de ontvangst van de Nederlandse regering in het Kurhaus te Scheveningen Possibly 1949

This photograph, taken on August 19th by the Dutch Government Information Service, captures the first official meeting with the delegates of the RTC during the reception of the Dutch government in the Kurhaus in Scheveningen. It’s interesting to observe how a seemingly straightforward documentary photograph can be seen as a kind of performance. The composition is carefully constructed, focusing on the handshake, a gesture loaded with meaning. The palette is deliberately restrained, a symphony of grays that enhances the seriousness of the event. The photograph feels both stiff and spontaneous. Look at the tension in the hands being shaken, the formal attire, and then the way the light falls across the room, almost haphazardly illuminating certain figures while leaving others in shadow. In a way, the whole image is like a study in contrasts. This reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter's blurred photo paintings, in which he obscures or obscures certain details, highlighting the ambiguity inherent in all forms of representation. Ultimately, this image prompts us to think about how power is negotiated and visualized in the public sphere.